Fully Conscious Active

Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, was promulgated over 50 years ago. In this document we find a call for “fully active and conscious participation” in the mass. This call is just as important now as it was than. We do not come to mass as bystanders, but participants, servants, and leaders in the greatest gift and celebration we have this side of heaven. As we journey through the year the liturgy changes: we sing new music, we say different prayers, we decorate differently. We have created this page to help promote a more fully active and conscious participation. We will regularly update links to new songs, information on liturgical changes, and much more. Please come back regularly to check out new material that will help you prepare for mass, and bring mass home with you.

Communion Antiphons for Lent

During Lent, Our community will be using a set of Communion Antiphons that my wife, Joelle and I wrote. We have created this video with recordings of all the Antiphons to help all of you better prepare for mass. The video also contains a little explanation on the history of Communion Antiphons. Our focus was to create beautiful, singable melodies that worked well with the text. We also incorporated a lot of repeated themes to encourage participation when we sing them at mass. You will all be in our prayers as we enter into this most holy season.

Silence at Mass

Music arises out of silence and returns to silence. God is revealed both in the beauty of song and in the power of silence. The Sacred Liturgy has it’s rhythms of texts, actions, songs, and silence. Silence in the Liturgy allows the community to reflect on what it has heard and experienced, and to open its heart to the mystery celebrated. The importance of silence in the Liturgy cannot be overemphasized.

–Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

During the season of Lent we put special emphasis on the moments of Silence in the Liturgy. This year we will be opening mass in silence. These moments of stillness in the liturgy are wonderful opportunities to reflect and listen to the Spirit of God; the same Spirit that resides both in our hearts and community.

Please follow this link for some further reading on silence in the liturgy. https://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur17.htm